Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-06
THE ECONOMIES.
Their Love R0mances Of Other Pays
0ld.Time Manner Of Worship Still
the Prevailing Fashion.
fIsh: Million Dollars Said to Constitute the
society's Funds-Death of One of
the SscedeTg.


BILE romance concerning old Jacob Hen
rici, the leader of the Economics ceie-
brated communistic society, near here,
has been urearthed by the writer. II is
love story which has lasted y lifetime,
aud will end only in the death Of the two
characters involved. The heroine is an
old lady, the granddaus liter CT Rspp, tie
Germans, which cannot be paralleled IN
this or any other country.
Strangers who walked through the
grass-grown streets of Economy this
morning were, for the time being, trans
planted 10
ATTPICAL GERMAN VILLAGE.
Quaint old people, quaint old houses
and costumes excited their continual Gu
riosity, which was increased when they
entered the one-story brick church,
where few of the twenty aged and fee
BILE survivors Of Rapp's eight hundred
immigrants, with many of the three hun
dred of their kitchen maids and farm
hands, who are not amenable to the s0ci
ety's strange laws, were gathered for di-
vine worship. Across the center OF the
church extends q narrow aisle with
platform at each end, one being
occupied by two organs, at which old
Mr.. HeuIici and Miss R3pp sat
playing. On both sides of the aisle
high-bscked benches extended TO the
rear. The men sat on one side and the
women On the ,ther, facing each other.
1t vas singular gathering, reminding
one of American colonial days. Miss RGpp
wore q costume which was startling for
her sge. It consisted Of q purple gown,
q blu4 neckerchief, with red, blue Snt
green border, and maZZlrine blue silk
quilted Normandy bonnet When tie
singing OF the opening hymn, accofnpe nisd
by the organ p aging of our aged hero
and heroine, who have sacrificed 4gve
and devotion 10 the cruel community
law Of celihaCY, had been concluded.
Mr.. H5D-.ci walked across the aisle to
the opposite platform and began the
sermon of the morning. He sat on his
chair during its entire delivery.
Miss R1pp is about seventy-eight years
of age. When young she was g lovely
girl, refined, highly educated, and pos
Sessed of considerable musical talent.
She and jacob Heinrich
FELL DESPERATELY IN LOVE
with each other, but OF course could not
marry. They have for many years lived
in the same nOGSe-he in one wing with
several old male members of the society,
while Miss Rapp, with her women, re
sides in another wing. As they sat side
by side in church this morning the sym
pathetic chords Of the few persons pres
ent COEveTsant with this secret romance
were awakened, and there was feeling
OF sadness, as the religious services were
participated in by the aged lovers, in the
IuainleSt yet simplest and sincere st mar
ner possible.
ANOTHER LOVE ROMANCE,
involving leading member OF the COM
munity, is still more interesting, and 1t
resulted in the temporary insanity Of the
man. Twenty years ago he was sent on a
mission to the oil regions, where, forget
ting his vows, he became infatuated with
a charming girl. In some way this terri
BILE news reached Economy, and Mr..
Heinrich immediately started for the oil
country. Arriving in the town he was
Mortified to find his associate out carriage
riding with his charmer. Henrlci
AwGs eSpied about the same instant, and
the love-sick Economic Immediately de-
serted mis- lady friend, and leaplng from
the carriage, escaped to the woods. A
search was made which lasted three DAYS,
and there being no trace of the missing
wGnderer finally came home, but he WIS
on the verge Of Iunacy. Re was confined
in DiXmont and shortly recovered. He
is still living, one Of the most honored
members OF the community, and has, no
dCu0t, forgot the eScapade of twenty
years ago.
DR.. Fi5e, no longer member, succeed
ed his father as the village physician. He
had never studied medicine, but had read
carefully the pOnderous recipe &bookssc
treatises on herbs, etc, inherited from
his father. Finally, Mr. Heinrich took him
to a neighboring physician that he might
become more proficient. The physician
was absent, and young Fife became so
engrossCd in the charms of the NJ. DPS
wife, VINO received them, that Mr.. Hen
rlci became alarmed, and the object of
the visit was at once abandoned. Eite
was escorted home again. Shortly after,
the village WAS visited by an epidemic,
during which German girl, who volun-
teered as nurse, and young Fite became
ensmored of each other and planned to
get marrlea. A clergyman from neigh
boring town was secured, and meeting the
couple at the railway station
THEY WERE MARRIED.
Fite wac given SIC2O and expelled from
the society, and with his bride he moved
TO Allegheny City. where he practiced for
several years. He was afterward taken
back on salary, but soon took to opium
eating, and drfted away never to return
A tragic incident occurred recently
John Wolfhanger, the society store
keeper, st The invitation of country boys
twice attended festive gatherings. Both
times he was detected by Mr. Henrici,
and punished in an unknown, but it is
said, severe msnDer. The second time
Wolfhauger, who was stricken with re-
morse, took dose of morphine and died.
A STRANGE STORY
in relation 10 the building of the Pitts
burg and Lake Erie Railroad has come TO
light. This was accomplished fifteen
years ago, mainly through the efforts Of
the Economics, represented by Mr.. Hen
rici. During the pane of 1887 a son Of
Founder Rapp became frightened, and
with the consent OF ths society converted
Sl00, goo Of its property into silver dollars.
They were buried in a cellar and were not
unesrthed until forty years later, when
il was decided TO invest them IN the
ne y railroad, which IS now controlled by
the Eanderbills. Mr.. Heinrich, who, with
Mr. Lenz, had succeeded to the trustee
snip, himself counted out the dollars, ard
set all the inhs6ltautS of the village 10
work cleaning the Coins with salt and
vinegar When the rust of forty years
had been removed they were brought to |
Pittsburg in C rpet bags and the railroad |
investment made. Mr.. Henrici WAS the |
first president of The road, and is still |
prominent n it's control.
Tp.vf-1,r;,,:-5 rJrND